Summary: This introductory lesson begins with pupils investigating a piece of music and figuring out where the music is from. Pupils are introduced to the city of Rio and to Brazil, exploring the location, culture and environments. They then immerse themselves in the Amazon rainforest learning a range of jungle moves.

Time required: 1 hour

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• To learn where Rio is located and explore the environment and culture of Brazil• To describe a piece of music and identify different sounds used in it • To learn seven Rio 2 movements mirroring shapes, levels and pathways

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Dance to Rio 2 DVD• Lesson 1 PowerPoint• Investigate the Music worksheets (Resource 1 & 2)• Interactive Whiteboard or screen to show DVD• Space for dance activities

KEY WORDS:

• Brazil • South America • Amazon • Rainforest • Shape • Level • Pathway

ACTIVITY OUTLINE:

Distribute the Investigate the Music worksheets (Resource 1 & 2) and ask pupils to listen to the opening of the warm up track: Real in Rio on the Dance to Rio 2 DVD [00:00 – 00:45]. As they listen, they should note down any sounds that they can identify and any adjectives that describe the music. Ask pupils to share their answers and guess where the music is from.

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Share the learning outcomes with pupils (this is done after the starter activity so as not to reveal where the music is from). Inform pupils that they will be learning about Rio and its music over the next few lessons. The lessons will culminate in them creating and performing a Rio 2 dance routine.

Ask pupils to find out where the city of Rio is located. This can be done using atlases, Google Earth or the map included in the PowerPoint. Show pupils images of Rio and Brazil asking them to describe what they see to their partner. Responses can then be shared with the class.

Warm up activity: with track Real in Rio playing quietly, instruct pupils to move around the space. Build up an imaginary jungle scene and ask pupils to move as explorers changing their movement from creeping up on an animal, all the way to being chased! They can then move as different jungle animals such as snakes, parrots and monkeys.

Play the dance tutorials from the DVD encouraging pupils to mirror the movements shown on screen and pausing where appropriate for pupils to practise their moves. Highlight the use of key terms such as shape (wide, small, and narrow), level (very high, high, medium, low, very low) and pathway (the direction of travel by the dancer or area covered during the dance).

Plenary and cool down activity: ask pupils to demonstrate their learning by calling out the dance movements and getting pupils to perform them. To cool down afterwards, reverse the actions in the warm up. Then, while the cool down track, Samba de Orly, plays describe the animals slowing down, getting sleepy, and climbing into their jungle beds. A few stretches can be included along the way with relation to animals (stretch arms towards toes like a monkey etc).

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